Bagless vacuum cleaners are per se known. German Patent Application DE102009035619A1 discloses a bagless vacuum cleaner having a removable dust collection device. For emptying purposes, the top cover can be removed from the removed dust collection device. In the case of this vacuum cleaner, emptying is accomplished by simply tipping the removed dust collection device over.
The present invention deals with the problem that there has not yet been provided an optimal method for emptying the dust collection device of such bagless vacuum cleaners having a central filter system. Until now, in order to empty the dust collection container of the dust collection device, it is usually required to remove a top cover from the dust collection container, and to then empty the dust collection container by turning it 180°. When emptying the dust collection container in this way, the dirt collected therein is sometimes heavily stirred up. This is unpleasant and also unhygienic for the user.
Furthermore, a circumferential horizontal coarse dirt separator collar is disposed in the dust collection container to separate coarse and fine dust. This coarse dirt separator collar is connected to the removable top cover. Typically, dirt particles are present on the coarse dirt separator collar and, therefore, these particles fall off in an uncontrolled manner when removing the top cover from the dust collection container. Even in the case of a bagless vacuum cleaner, where the bottom of the dust collection container can be opened to dispose of the fine dust collected there, any dirt that is separated by the circumferential coarse dirt separator collar remains above the collar. The circumferential coarse dirt separator collar would have to be removed separately by hand. In this case, too, dust can fall off the collar in an uncontrolled manner. This is unpleasant and unhygienic. In addition, the coarse dirt separator collar is relatively difficult to handle. Although the bagless vacuum cleaner must be cleaned at regular intervals to maintain its suction power, it is nevertheless likely that the user does not clean the dust collection device as often as would be required. This not only results in a decrease in the suction power of the bagless vacuum cleaner, but may also lead to unhygienic conditions due to the dirt which then remains in the dust collection container for a longer period of time.